I love granola. All kinds. Especially the ones with lots of nuts and seeds. And if you are like me at lunch time everything in the fridge goes into a bowl or a pan and gets heated and dressed up with aioli or hummus or whatever I have lying around. Then I figured out that granola can be savory and my bowls instantly achieved a whole other level. Savory granola adds so much flavor to to salads, rice bowls even breakfast burritos. Even the kids love it just to snack on or to put on a savory yogurt bowl on hectic mornings!

This recipe has a bunch of fresh ingredients but it's pretty basic and honestly you can use whatever you have lying around in the cupboard and the spice drawer. 10 minutes is all you’ll need to pull your ingredients and mix them together, pop it in the oven and wait. The aromas that fill the house were proof enough that this was going to be my newest addiction.

Savory Granola

Makes about 4 cups

You can replace any of the seeds, nuts or flakes with what you have in your pantry. If you are looking for a slightly lighter granola you can replace some of the oil with water. Dry spices could also be added instead of the fresh herbs.

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tbsp any mustard / preferably grainy

1 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)

zest from 1 orange / or any citrus

1-2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme (leaves only)

1-2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (leaves only)

salt and pepper ( I like a lot of both )

Dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup buckwheat groats (you can skip this all together and add another 1/2 cup of oats or other grain like millet)

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

3/4 cup hazelnuts

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Add all of the dry ingredients to the bowl. Use you hands or a spatula to toss the dry ingredients in the dressing until all is coated. Bake for about 30 minutes or until crunchy and golden, stirring the granola halfway through to prevent it from burning. I added some extra fresh herbs after it is baked but not necessary although pretty. Store in an air-tight jar in room temperature for up to 4 weeks.